Student and Faculty Activities
CTAHR strives to maximize students' personal growth and development by providing a variety of opportunities to network, build and strengthen relationships, and get involved in fun, enriching co-curricular activities.
Below are selected examples of recent student activities sponsored by CTAHR.
Spring Event
CTAHR held its annual Spring Event on Friday, February 8, 2013. Although the location in the field next to Gilmore Hall remained the same, this year, the theme focused on an outdoor carnival rather than the traditional dodgeball competition. About 200 CTAHR students, faculty, and staff came out for food and fun. Entertainment included homemade games like sidewalk bowling, wiffle ball toss, bucket bounce, and fishbowl toss. Additionally, professional balloon artists from Adventure Balloons wowed the crowd with their skill and creativity. The highlight was certainly the dunk booth. All enjoyed watching our brave faculty volunteers get dunked. Also, $520 was collected in monetary donations at this year’s event to support Collegiate 4-H, a CTAHR-affiliated program that fosters leadership and personal development in today’s youth through hands-on learning projects in the community.
Big thanks to Dr. Ken Leonhardt, Dr. Halina Zaleski, Dr. Mark Wright, Dr. CN Lee, Dr. Maria Stewart, and Dr. Dan Rubinoff for volunteering to get dunked. Mahalo to Charlie Nelson and Ryan Kurasaki for helping with food arrangements, and to Dr. Janice Uchida for donating potted plants for prizes. Thanks to the Spring Event student committee, scholarship recipients, and ASAO for their time and dedication in making this a smooth and successful event. Also, thank you to everyone who attended and donated to this year’s cause and making this first-time carnival-themed Spring Event a memorable one.
Annual Blood Drive
In Hawaii, about 200 blood donors are needed each day to meet the blood needs of patients statewide. CTAHR has contributed to this cause for the past eight years by sponsoring on-campus blood drives. This year was particularly special as CTAHR sponsored two drives in one year. In CTAHR’s transition to hosting its annual blood drive from the spring to the fall semester, CTAHR hosted a second, smaller drive this year on Thursday, November 8, 2012.
At this drive, a total of 55 pints were collected. With the 91 pints that were collected earlier in March of this year, our college has contributed a whopping 146 pints of blood in this year alone. Because each pint can be divided into three usable components, as many as 438 lives were possibly saved by the donations collected in our drives in 2012. The precious gift of life not only helps those who need the blood, but touches the lives of the families and friends of the recipients as well.
The Blood Bank of Hawaii and CTAHR truly appreciate the time and generosity of everyone who contributed to this successful event and giving the precious gift of life. CTAHR hosted the most successful one-day blood drives at UH Manoa in both the fall and spring semesters. In the words of the Blood Bank of Hawaii, “Overall - you all collected more than any other sponsoring group in 2012 - by far!!” Many thanks to those who came out to donate blood. Also, mahalo to ASAO and the scholarship recipients who helped throughout the day to provide a positive and comfortable environment for those who came to donate.
Annual Research Symposium
Students at the University of Hawai‘i have few opportunities to present their scholarly work in professional conferences due to the geographic isolation of Hawai‘i and the high cost of travel to attend conferences outside the state. One of the main goals of the annual Student Research Symposium is to give students the experience of presenting their work in a friendly, yet professional setting similar to national and international conferences. Through travel grant awards, the symposium enables graduate students to compete for funding to share their research findings at professional conferences outside the state.
For the third year in a row, CTAHR teamed with the College of Engineering (COE) for this year’s 25th annual Student Research Symposium. Over 300 students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered at the Agricultural Science building on the UH Mānoa campus on April 12 and 13, 2013 for a lively, scholarly exchange over the 139 poster and oral presentations by undergraduate and graduate students in all six CTAHR departments and three departments in COE. The topics spanned all stages of the process of research and development as well as all types of student learning, including discovery; advanced diagnostics and laboratory testing; design, validation and field testing; and adoption of new methods and technologies. The caliber of the students’ work was truly impressive. Attendees enjoyed a short welcome by CTAHR’s Dean Gallo and mingling outdoors with dinner served under a spacious tent. Thank you to those whose hard work made this event successful, including the student participants and faculty advisor/mentors, judges and moderators, staff and student volunteers, members of the Symposium Coordinating Committee, and to SAPFB for funding part of this event.
Mahalo again to all participants in the 2013 CTAHR-COE Student Research Symposium, and congratulations to the award recipients.
Careers after CTAHR Workshop
Students and employers gathered in Gilmore Hall on Thursday, April 18, 2013 for the Careers after CTAHR Workshop, which focused on careers that were related to the fields of study of Family Resources (FAMR), Animal Sciences (ANSC), and Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN). Local professionals, many of whom are CTAHR alums, came from a diversity of companies and organizations, including the US Customs and Border Protection, USDA APHIS, Honolulu Zoo, The Plaza at Moanalua, KCC’s TRIO program, Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii, Center on the Family, Meadow Gold Dairies, and Sodexo. Students learned about potential internship/career opportunities, personal career pathways and experiences of those working in jobs related to their fields of study, and tips on how to prepare themselves for the workforce. After the workshop sessions, students had a chance to mingle and network with employers during the refreshment session, which closed out the workshop.
Thank you to all of the professionals who volunteered their time to share their valuable knowledge and experiences with our students, ASAO for organizing this event, CTAHR student volunteers, and to the students who attended this event.
CTAHR Convocation
On Wednesday, May 1, 2013, over 200 CTAHR students, their families and friends, and CTAHR faculty and staff attended the CTAHR Convocation in the Campus Center Ballroom. This intimate celebration, emceed by Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi, began with congratulatory remarks from Dean Maria Gallo and CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends President Dr. Susan Miller. Our Spring 2013 student marshals Roberto Rodriguez (BE) and Shelley Wong (FSHN), selected for their academic achievements, leadership and service to CTAHR and the University, were then called on stage to be recognized. Afterwards, graduating students active in CTAHR-affiliated student organizations were acknowledged for their participation in these organizations. The ceremony concluded with the individual recognition of 52 of our graduates. Following the program were refreshments and a chance for family, friends, and mentors to mingle with the graduating students. Congratulations to our graduating students for achieving such a milestone! Good luck in your future endeavors!
A big mahalo to all those who supported our graduating students. Thank you to SAPFB for partially funding this event, the CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends for donating lei, CTAHR scholarship recipients and student ambassadors for volunteering at the event, and ASAO for providing the CTAHR memorabilia presented to the graduates and organizing this event.
Awards Banquet
Academic excellence, a diverse economy, a healthy environment, and strong families and communities: these goals are central to CTAHR's mission. This shared mission is embraced at our annual Awards Banquet, where the excellence and accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff are recognized; an outstanding alumnus who has made important contributions to a field or discipline represented by CTAHR is honored; and tribute is paid to an exceptional individual from the community whose commitment to the college has greatly furthered CTAHR’s goals.
Attendees at the 23rd Awards Banquet on May 6, 2011 were entertained by the high-energy Derek Kurisu, CTAHR alumnus and local TV star, and the personable Jayna Tasaka (FCS) as they feasted on Farm-to-Table fare and applauded members of the CTAHR ‘ohana and friends. In all, almost 400 people attended, including President Greenwood. She remarked on the important role CTAHR plays in Hawai‘i’s communities—and they know how to throw a great party, too!
Honorees who were recognized that evening:
The 2011 Outstanding Alumna is Dr. PingSun Leung (PhD, Agricultural & Resource Economics), a professor in Natural Resources & Environmental Management. Dr. Leung is also an internationally renowned aquaculture and fisheries economist, advancing the field through research, founding the journal Aquaculture Economics and Management, and serving as a consultant to various local and international organizations and agencies. This year’s Ka Lei Hano Heritage Award recipient is Mr. Harold Tanouye, president and owner of Green Point Nurseries. He is a leader and innovator in the local agricultural industry, and through strong collaboration with CTAHR, has helped keep Hawai‘i’s anthurium industry competitive and thriving in the global marketplace.
Excellence in Teaching – Dr. Jon-Paul Bingham (MBBE)
Excellence in Research – Dr. Arnold Hara (PEPS, Hawai‘i County)
Excellence in Extension – Dr. Barbara DeBaryshe & the Early Reading First Team (Center on the Family)
Ka Pouhana (Mentor) Award – Dr. Wayne Iwaoka (HNFAS)
Alvin T. & Charlotte C. Nakamura Hoku Award – Dr. Linda Cox (NREM)
Outstanding Civil Service – Ms. Marla Fergerstrom (Mealani Research Station, Hawai‘i County)
Ka Hana Po‘okela Service Awards: graduate student – Noe Abejon (NREM)
Ka Hana Po‘okela Service Awards: undergraduate student – Gabriel Sachter-Smith (TPSS)
Thank you to the many people who helped to make the event a success including the Awards Banquet Planning Committee, Elsie Kawahara for serving as IT technician, the CTAHR student ambassadors, CTAHR’s Office of Communication Services and Office of Academic & Student Affairs, and to the many donors who provided the floral arrangements and gift bags.
Ag Awareness Day
About 600 fifth-grade students and teachers from seven Leeward Oahu schools attended the 2013 Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day on Friday, March 8, 2013 out at the Pearl City Urban Garden Center. The purpose of this outdoor event is to create a greater awareness and understanding of agriculture and the environment among today’s students, teachers, and general public, as well as to introduce young students to potential Hawaii-based career opportunities in these fields. Local companies, groups, and community members who volunteer their time to educate the students make up the seventeen presentations and fifteen exhibits that students can go to on this day. Several exhibits returned the next day for the Second Saturday at the Garden event open to the general public. The Oahu Cooperative Extension Office Office of Academic and Student Affairs of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources partnered to organize this event. Thank you to Pearl City Urban Garden Center staff and volunteers, CTAHR students and staff, and Golden Key, for providing volunteers for this event. Also, a big mahalo to the CTAHR faculty and staff, community members, and company representatives who volunteered their time and knowledge for the presentations and exhibits at the Friday and Saturday events. Funding support was provided by USDA-NIFA through the Agribusiness Education, Training and Incubation (AETI) Program.
New Student Orientation
CTAHR’s New Student Orientation provides a great introduction for incoming freshman and transfer students to our college. CTAHR’s increasing undergraduate student enrollment in the past few years has been reflecting in the growing attendance of incoming students to the orientation, with over 50 incoming students representing all nine undergraduate programs in CTAHR participating in this year’s program.
The day kicked off with a few warm words of welcome to the newest members of our college by Dean Gallo, who pointed out that she too, is a new member of the college. New and transfer students then participated in a human bingo icebreaker to get to know their peers. Dr. Kinoshita’s presentation followed, outlining the four main values of our instructional philosophy: Scholarship, Ethical Behavior, Diversity, and Service. Students then learned more about academic requirements in a presentation by Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi. This was followed by personal experiences that current students April Williams-Johnston and Shelley Wong shared on a few of Critical Skills and Competencies that they have learned in their college career thus far. Incoming students then got to learn about the various CTAHR clubs and organizations and opportunities to get involved. After the formal portion of the program, students were divided into groups and had the chance to meet with their academic advisor for guidance on what classes to take and what to expect in college. The orientation ended with a delicious and filling lunch in the company of their peers, faculty, and staff. The new students left with a better understanding of what it means to be a part of CTAHR.
This orientation would not have been possible with the assistance of many individuals. A big thank you to Dean Gallo, the student committee members, faculty advisors, and student club and organization representatives!
Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash
On Monday, September 10 in the Sherman Courtyard, representatives from all of CTAHR’s departments and administration competed for best costume design and fastest ice cream eating time at CTAHR’s 24th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash. Once the winners were crowned, CTAHR students, faculty and staff assembled to enjoy ice cream and popsicles that were once again donated by Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii.
Competing in this year’s contests were A’rel Boies (Family & Consumer Sciences), Dr. Maria Stewart (Human Nutrition, Food, & Animal Sciences), Dr. Eunsung Kan (Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering), Molly Miller (Natural Resources & Environmental Management), Ikaia Leleiwi (Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences), Gabriel Sachter-Smith (Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences) and Kai Kunipo (Administration). Congratulations to Molly Miller for winning the costume contest as well as Ikaia Leleiwi for winning the no-hands scavenger hunt ice cream eating competition.
The beneficiary of the monetary donations collected at this year’s event was the Lanakila Meals on Wheels Program, the only islandwide meal service for the elderly. For more information on Lanakila Meals on Wheels, please visit their website.
Thank you to all who attended the bash, our contestants, and especially to those who donated to Lanakila Meals on Wheels. Big mahalos go out to Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii for its continuous support of CTAHR; SAPFB for funding a part of this event; special guests Dr. Lori Ideta and Rouel Velasco for serving as judges of the costume contest; Ryan Kurasaki and Charlie Nelson; the HNFAS and NREM departments; Ray Uchida of the Oahu Extension Office and Lito Cacho and Richard Fisher of Pearl City Urban Garden Center; and our ice cream scoopers. Lastly, thank you to the committee, scholarship recipients, ASAO, and everyone whose efforts made the 24th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash a success!
Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Enrichment Day
Last fall, 29 students from agriculture programs at Kea‘au, Pāhoa, Kealakehe, Kaua‘i, Lahainaluna, Kahuku, Mililani, and Wai‘anae High Schools attended the college’s first Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Enrichment Day. The students visited the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Division and UH Mānoa.
After touring the Mānoa campus, students participated in engaging educational activities hosted by CTAHR faculty, students, and staff, including a visit to the Magoon Research and Instruction Facilities, a hands-on lesson on composting with worms, “Feed Your Tribe” (an exercise relating to seeds and natural selection), and an opportunity to extract DNA from papaya.
A Meaningful Experience
The Ninth Annual Meaningful Experience trip began in the early morning of September 29, 2012. Twenty CTAHR students and staff flew to Maui for a packed weekend full of fun and education. The first tour began at the Surfing Goat Dairy, a German-owned farm that produces award-winning goat cheeses. There, students learned of the dairy’s entire operations, even having a hand at milking and herding the goats. Their experience on the goat farm ended with a cheese-tasting session, sampling over 15 different types of cheeses produced at this dairy.
After lunch, the group then headed to Maui Beach Hotel for some teambuilding activities facilitated by ASAO’s Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi to bond with one another and build their interpersonal and communication skills. Dinner followed, with an opportunity to head out to the Maui County Fair.
The group called it a night early, as they had to wake up at 2am for the sunrise at Haleakala the next day. After making the windy trek up the world’s steepest paved road to the top of Haleakala, the students looked out into the crater, above the thick clouds, to await the beautiful sunrise. After soaking in the awe-inspiring view, the group then made their way down to the 7,000-foot elevation. For those who dared, they cruised down the mountain on bikes while the rest enjoyed the ride down in vans.
At mid-morning, the students headed out to the final activity of the trip to Monsanto Hawaii. Here, they learned about the seed industry, Monsanto’s operations, and the company’s developments both in the lab and in the field. The group then cooled off with some famous Ululani’s Shave Ice or Pinkberry before heading back to Oahu, the weekend complete.
Thank you to David Stoltzfus, Dario Bernacchi, and Mario Gaggero of Monsanto for hosting our visit to their facilities. Also, mahalo to SAPFB and ASAO for supporting our students to go to Maui. Lastly, thank you to the students who participated and made this experience meaningful for all the attendees.
CTAHR Career Conference
On the evening of Wednesday, November 14, 2012, students filled the halls of the first, second and third floors of Gilmore Hall for the CTAHR Career Conference, which focused on careers in the agriculture and environmental management resources sectors. Representatives from DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Syngenta Seeds, Division of Foresty and Wildlife and Youth Conservation Corps, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Kupu Hawaii, Dow Agrosciences, Peace Corps, Agribusiness Incubator Program, and CTAHR Cooperative Extension hosted 20-minute sessions to share with students what their agency/organization does as well as pointers for working in agriculture and environmental management resources careers. Topics ranged from agriculture in the public sector to the seed industry to natural resource management and even local food production. In addition to these informative sessions, students had the opportunity to chat with companies and agencies during the intermission/networking break halfway through the program.
Thank you to all who attended the career conference, ASAO and Dr. Traci Sylva for organizing the event, and the CTAHR Club for providing volunteers that day. Also, mahalo to DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto for providing refreshments. Lastly, we would especially like to thank the workshop presenters who came out that evening to share with our students what they do as well as pointers for working in the agriculture and environmental management resources careers.
CTAHR Fall Convocation
On Friday, December 7, 2012, over 150 CTAHR students, their families and friends, and CTAHR faculty and staff attended the CTAHR Convocation in the Campus Center Ballroom. This is the first time in ten years that the College has held a convocation ceremony for its graduating students. This intimate celebration, emceed by Mrs. Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi, began with congratulatory remarks from Dean Maria Gallo and CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends President Dr. Susan Miller. Our Fall 2012 student marshals Allyson Fujii (FAMR) and Jordan Oshiro (FSHN), selected for their academic achievements and high involvement in CTAHR, were then called to stage to be recognized. Afterwards, graduating students active in CTAHR-affiliated student organizations were acknowledged for their participation in these groups. The formal program then concluded with the individual recognition of 40 of our graduates. Following the program were refreshments and a chance for family, friends, and mentors to mingle with the graduating students. Congratulations to our graduating students for achieving such a milestone! Good luck in your future endeavors!
A big mahalo to all those who supported our graduating students. Thank you to the CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends for donating lei, CTAHR scholarship recipients and student ambassadors for volunteering at the event, Yama’s Fishmarket for catering the food, and ASAO for providing the CTAHR memorabilia presented to the graduates and organizing this event.
